Procedures for Automation (Basics)

You can save diverse drawing elements (layers, pens, etc.) and output settings (print, bitmap, PDF, block) in named procedures and recall them at a later time. In each drawing file, you can store multiple different procedures to be prepared for all kind of jobs simultaneously.

Use either the Manage > Procedures for Automation command or the respective button in the panel to access your procedures.

The main uses of procedures are the following cases which feature special procedure creation commands:

Save and Restore Layer / Pen Settings

After a right-click in the "Edit Layers" dialog or "Edit Pens" dialog, a menu appears. It contains, among others, the "Save as Procedure..." and "Activate Procedure" commands. When saving, the "Edit Procedure" dialog will be used to determine the procedure's name and the amount of (layer and pen) settings to be saved. Using the "Activate Procedure" command, only the layer or pen settings, respectively, will be restored - no matter if further settings were stored in that procedure.

To restore all settings stored in a procedure, activate it outside the dialog windows instead.

Create and Execute a Bitmap Export Job

To create a procedure for bitmap creation, use the File > Export > Create Bitmap Export Procedure command. In the appearing "Edit Procedure" dialog you can choose which settings to store along that will be restored automatically during the export (e.g. layer visibility). A procedure's use for bitmap export will not permanently affect the application's settings, but only restore them short-termed during the export process.

To permanently use such a procedure's settings, simply activate it.

Create and Execute a Block Creation Job

To create a procedure for block creation, use the Library > Block > Create as Procedure command. In the appearing "Edit Procedure" dialog you can choose which settings to store along that will be restored automatically during the block creation (e.g. layer visibility). A procedure's use for block creation will not permanently affect the application's settings, but only restore them short-termed during the export process.

To permanently use such a procedure's settings, simply activate it.

Create and Execute a PDF Export Job

To create a procedure for PDF export, use the "Save as Procedure..." button in the File > Print > Drawing or File > Print > Section command dialog. In the appearing "Edit Procedure" dialog you can choose which settings to store along that will be restored automatically during the PDF export (e.g. layer visibility). A procedure's use for PDF export will not permanently affect the application's settings, but only restore them short-termed during the export process.

To permanently use such a procedure's settings, simply activate it.

Create and Execute a Printing Job

To create a procedure for PDF export, use the "Save as Procedure..." button in the File > Print > Drawing or File > Print > Section command dialog. In the appearing "Edit Procedure" dialog you can choose which settings to store along that will be restored automatically during the export (e.g. layer visibility). A procedure's use for printing will not permanently affect the application's settings, but only restore them short-termed during the export process.

To permanently use such a procedure's settings, simply activate it.

Create and Execute a File Export Job

To create a procedure for file export, use the File > Export > Create File Bitmap Procedure command. In the appearing "Edit Procedure" dialog you can choose which settings to store along that will be restored automatically during the export (e.g. layer visibility). A procedure's use for bitmap export will not permanently affect the application's settings, but only restore them short-termed during the export process.

To permanently use such a procedure's settings, simply activate it.